Budapest's mayor is deepening public ties with Taiwan, a friendly signal for Taipei and an awkward one for Hungary's Beijing-leaning national government.

• Mayor Gergely Karácsony says Taiwan and Budapest share a commitment to democracy despite the distance between them.
• He thanked Taiwan for its long-running support of the Budapest Forum, the city's platform for debating democracy and sustainability.
• He wants to borrow from Taiwan's experience in smart technology and other policy areas, and hopes to visit after another invitation this year.
• A Taiwan-Hungary exhibition marked Taiwanese aid during Hungary's 1956 revolution, a tie now 70 years old.
• Karácsony has backed Taiwan's bids to join the WHO and ICAO, and once renamed streets around a planned Chinese university campus after the Dalai Lama, Hong Kong and Uyghur causes.

Outlook: City-level cooperation between Budapest and Taipei looks set to grow, with a mayoral visit to Taiwan the next likely step.